Taylor works the microphone these days, instead of dominating defensive linemen. The former Chargers, Packers and Notre Dame guard still calls a family- oriented North County neighborhood home, settling in nine years ago when he absorbed looks for something other than his size.

“I was the only single guy within 10 square miles,” Taylor said.

Now he’s all grown up, a virtual Norman Rockwell painting with his manicured lawn, a loving wife and two rambunctious sons under the age of 5.

Time flies, and there goes Taylor to catch another plane as a CBS college football analyst.

On Saturday, he’ll be calling the Tulsa-Houston game, one week after his reassuring words confirmed that San Diego State really did upset Boise State.

“I thought what we witnessed was that program taking a step in the right direction,” Taylor said. “That is a team that in the past wouldn’t have responded in those sorts of situations. But it was physical, wire-to-wire.”

Taylor, 39, tells it like it is, or isn’t. He’s upbeat about the Aztecs’ swagger, a look that dates back to Brady Hoke becoming coach in 2009.

Now that the fingerprints of Rocky Long, Hoke’s successor, are on the squad, Taylor doesn’t see much difference — and that’s a good thing.

“I think Brady hiring Rocky in the first place as a defensive coordinator was the key,” Taylor said. “And it was a perfect marriage when Rocky took over because they are so similar in their philosophy in building a program.

“In watching San Diego State before Brady and Rocky, no disrespect to the other coaches, but they were soft. Both physically and mentally.”

But there were the amazing Aztecs (7-3) on display Saturday in Idaho, a late-night showing of brawn and brains. In the land of potatoes, it was the Broncos getting poked in the eye as SDSU won its fifth straight.

“That is not an easy place to go and play,” Taylor said. “San Diego State is one of three teams to beat Boise State coach (Chris) Petersen there — are you kidding me? For them to do that, following up a win against Nevada on the road, it was impressive.”

What’s striking about Taylor, a two-time All-American at Notre Dame, is him tackling easy (football) and uneasy (child molestation) subjects.

With Penn State back in the news as its former president, Graham Spanier, is being charged for his mute response to coach Jerry Sandusky’s criminal behavior, Taylor isn’t shy about speaking out.

Not only regarding Penn State’s atrocities, but that he, too, was a sexual abuse victim around the same age as his first son.

“I had an older male family member that I had an incident with,” Taylor said. “It had a profound effect on me in ways I didn’t know.”

Maybe because Taylor pushed the ugly scenario far from his own consciousness. He stiff-armed the memory with such conviction that it wasn’t until the Penn State nightmare surfaced that Taylor finally came to terms with his abuse.